


Ghost Town

by summers-maclay-lehane (ofstormsandwolves)



Series: Ripper and Anne [4]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Episode: s02e06 Halloween, Magic, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-04-21 08:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22053490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofstormsandwolves/pseuds/summers-maclay-lehane
Summary: When Halloween sweeps through Sunnydale, Buffy is thrilled to find out she's in for a quiet night at the Bronze with Willow and Xander. But things might not go anywhere near as smoothly when something strange begins to happen...
Series: Ripper and Anne [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1455253
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

“What are you doing for Halloween?”

Ripper eyed the three teenagers with disdain as he put the finishing touches to dinner. Ever since he and Buffy had headed for the nearest Hellmouth, and he’d ended up with two more teens to look after, Ripper had found himself questioning most of his life choices. Today’s question was ‘why the hell did I agree to train two teenagers to fight vampires?’

The teenagers in question- Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris- attended Sunnydale High, and had taken it upon themselves not only to annoy Ripper in his own home, but also in his place of work as the high school’s librarian. But they had also allowed Buffy to spend more time with kids her own age, and he couldn’t help but be relieved about that.

“I don’t know,” Buffy responded to Xander’s question with a shrug, before turning to peer over at Ripper who was still in the kitchen. “What are we doing on Halloween?”

Rolling his eyes, Ripper slid the lasagne he’d been making into the oven and set the timer before heading out to the sitting room. “Nothing. The Hellmouth should be quiet.”

He was met with three incredulous stares from the teens. 

“Really?” Buffy asked sceptically, wrinkling her nose as she processed the information. “I... Get a night off?”

Ripper watched as her expression shifted from one of confusion to one of excitement as it finally sank in.

“Vampires and demons generally stay under the radar on Halloween,” Ripper explained. “We shouldn’t have any problems that night. Why?”

“There’s a Halloween party at the Bronze,” Willow explained quickly. “They do it every year. Two years ago, Xander and I went as Mulder and Scully. Last year, Xander was a soldier. I was a ghost.”

Ripper arched an eyebrow at that, but said nothing. Instead, he turned back to Buffy, who was staring up at him with wide, pleading eyes.

“Does that mean I can go?” she asked hopefully. “I mean, if there aren’t going to be any vampires or demons, I can totally go to the Bronze without slacking off on my sacred duty, right?”

Shrugging, Ripper sat down in the armchair and snagged the remote control from Xander. “Do what you want; I’m not your father. Or your Watcher.”

In his peripheral vision, he could see the three teens grinning. Immediately, they huddled closer together to begin discussing their Halloween plans.

“First thing’s first, you need a costume,” Xander reminded Buffy seriously.

“There’s a great new place that’s opened in town!” Willow announced excitedly. “We could meet you there after school!”

_Great_, Ripper though. At least he’d get the library to himself for an afternoon.

* * *

Ethan’s Costume Shop was pretty busy by the time Willow and Xander met Buffy there the next day. With only a few days until Halloween, it wasn’t surprising that there were so many people buying items, but Buffy quietly worried it meant there would be very little available in her budget. She had refused the extra money that Ripper had offered her, knowing that they would need the money for food and rent, and she just hoped she still had enough cash left over from her waitressing job in LA to buy a decent costume.

“What are you looking for?” Willow asked as they entered the shop, trying to alleviate her friend’s concerns.

“I don’t know,” Buffy admitted, a little anxious. “I’ve not had to do this sort of thing for years, Will. I think the last time I dressed up for Halloween was before... Well, before.” She looked around pointedly at the numerous patrons.

Willow’s eyes widened. Oh. Before being called. She gave her friend a small smile. “Ok, so you’re a little rusty on the whole Halloween thing, but me and Xander are here to help... Where _is_ Xander?”

The girls looked around then, to see that their friend had completely vanished. Sharing a look, they started making their way through the crowded shop, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

“You lovely ladies looking for me?” Xander’s voice came from behind.

Both girls spun around to see him stood behind them, a grin on his face and a toy gun in his hands. 

“Are you buying that?” Buffy asked, eyeing the toy with a look of concern.

He shrugged. “I’ve still got most of my costume from last year- army fatigues and boots. All I needed was a new gun because I think my mom threw out my one from last year.”

Buffy was about to protest, before realising that recycling an old costume was probably actually a very good idea. If she’d had an old costume to reuse, she definitely would. So instead she nodded. “Ok. But that doesn’t help me or Will out. I don’t suppose you saw anything that might work for either of us?”

Xander shook his head apologetically. “I was pretty intent on battling little kids for this,” he said, waggling the plastic gun as he spoke, “but I’m happy to do another sweep. What are you looking for?”

“She doesn’t know,” Willow chipped in. “I was thinking I’d go as a witch. But without all the nasty makeup and stuff.”

“Ok,” Xander nodded. “One non-nasty witch, and one who-knows-what coming right up. Let’s get looking.”

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Willow had her pointy black hat, but Buffy was still sans costume.

“Give us something to work with, Buff,” Xander complained as Buffy started on yet another lap of the store. “What are we talking here? Cute costume? Scary? Sexy?”

Both girls gave him a look at the last one, but Xander ignored them. “Come on, we’ve looked around the store at least ten times. We can try somewhere else.”

But Buffy wasn’t listening. Her eyes had caught sight of a gown hidden at the back of the store, and before she knew what was happening, she was making her way towards it. It was a pastel purple gown with a full skirt and puffy sleeves, and just screamed princess.

“I had a costume like this when I was little,” Buffy said softly, reaching out to brush the fabric with the tips of her fingers. “I begged my dad for it for weeks, and when he finally bought it for me I refused to wear anything else for like a month.”

The memories brought a small, sad smile to her face, and behind her Willow and Xander exchanged sympathetic looks. While they didn’t know everything about the events that had brought Buffy and Ripper together, or to Sunnydale, they knew enough to know that Buffy’s parents were gone. But before they could say anything comforting or reassuring, a dark-haired man in his mid-twenties appeared beside them.

“Anything I can help you three with?” he asked in an accent that sounded remarkably like Ripper’s, if Ripper’s accent were a little more polished.

Buffy shook her head sadly. “Just looking,” she said with a tight smile. “It’s a lovely dress, but I definitely can’t afford it.”

At that, the man frowned. “Well, we can’t have that. I feel quite moved to make you a deal you can’t refuse,” he said, and carefully manoeuvred the dress off the mannequin to hold up to Buffy’s body. “It looks perfect! And it will look even more perfect with that tiara over there.” He nodded to an intricate tiara sitting a little way away. “How about I let you have these items for a price you can afford and you pay me back by telling your school friends about my store?”

Part of Buffy felt the need to tell the man that she didn’t go to school and didn’t have friends other than the two standing behind her, and Ripper. But she also figured he wouldn’t sell her an expensive costume for just $50 and the tube of lip balm in her pocket, so she just nodded and followed him to the counter to pay.

* * *

By the time Halloween rolled around a few days later, Buffy was practically vibrating with excitement.

“Thank god you’re here,” Ripper grumbled when he opened the door to Willow and Xander. “Buffy’s been driving me mad. She hasn’t talked about anything other than this party for days.”

“You know, you could come to the Bronze too, Ripper,” Willow said as she adjusted her witch’s hat.

“It’s American nonsense,” Ripper grumbled. “And I don’t exactly want to spend the night with a room full of teenagers in stupid costumes. Buffy’s in her room getting ready.”

Willow sighed and headed in the direction of Buffy’s bedroom then, leaving the two men on their own.

“I’m guessing you’re not exactly a Halloween kind of guy?” Xander asked Ripper with a small smirk.

“It’s not that big a deal in England,” Ripper responded. “Besides, I was told at the age of ten that when I grew up I’d have to train girls to fight real demons. People in costumes seem bloody stupid after you learn that.”

Xander shrugged at that, conceding Ripper’s point. They could hear Willow and Buffy talking, and only a moment or so later, they appeared in the sitting room. 

“So?” Buffy asked with an excited grin. “How do I look?”

The dress fit her almost like it was made for her, and she had curled and pinned her hair up before affixing the tiara. Ripper blinked.

“How the bloody hell did you afford that?” he asked in confusion.

Buffy flashed him a grin. “We went to a new store. The owner gave it to me for $50 if I promised to tell all my friends about his place.”

“You don’t have any friends other than the people in this room, Buffy,” Ripper reminded her pointedly.

She shrugged. “He didn’t know that. So I’ll ask again, how do I look?”

Ripper responded instead by turning to Xander. “If anything happens to her tonight, I’m holding you responsible.”

Across the room, Willow frowned. “But you said nothing would happen on Halloween!”

“Not with the Hellmouth,” Ripper agreed. “But it might with Buffy going to the Bronze dressed like that.”

Rolling her eyes, Buffy tugged Willow across the room. “We’re leaving now. Don’t wait up.”

* * *

The Bronze was, predictably, packed. The dance floor was a sea of costumes, most of which appeared to be store-bought, and it took Willow, Buffy, and Xander some time to find a place to sit. When they finally settled in at a table a little way away from the crowds, Xander fixed the two girls with a smile.

“So, what can I get you lovely ladies?” he asked, clapping his hands together. “Soda? Water? Fresh blood?”

Both Willow and Buffy fixed him with a look at that.

“Soda,” Buffy told him, as Willow echoed her. “No ice, though.”

As Xander made his way to the bar, Buffy took the opportunity to survey the land. The Bronze was always busy in the few times she’d been there. It had been busy the first night she and Ripper had gone, when she’d met Willow and Xander. It had been busy when she had gone the following week too, and the week after that. It was easy to see why the place was such a vamp-magnet. At least it meant she got to squeeze in some dancing along with her slaying.

But tonight, it seemed even more packed than usual. Perhaps it was all the costumes, making everything feel busier. There were numerous zombies and pirates, cats and witches, skeletons and ghosts milling around, and everyone seemed to huddle together in clusters.

“Is it always like this at Halloween?” she asked Willow, raising her voice slightly to be heard over the loud music.

Willow nodded excitedly. “Halloween’s kind of a big deal here,” Willow explained, leaning closer to her friend so she didn’t have to shout. “And the Bronze is the place to be, so their Halloween parties are always packed.”

Buffy hummed at that, a small frown furrowing her brow. Something about Willow’s words made her nervous. Ripper had told her that Halloween on the Hellmouth was typically quiet but in her nearly two-year tenure as the Slayer she’d come across very little that could be regarded as ‘typical’, especially in recent months. From falling in love with a vampire with a soul who then slaughtered her parents, to running away from the Watcher’s Council, to moving to Sunnydale with her not-Watcher and enlisting two local teens in her battle against evil. As far as she knew, none of those things were top tips from the legendary Slayer handbook Merrick had always been trying to get her to read.

But she was shaken from her worried thoughts as a grinning Xander reappeared with three sodas clutched precariously in his hands.

“What were we talking about?” he asked as he plopped into an empty seat.

Forcing the negativity away for a moment, Buffy returned her attention to her friends. There was probably nothing to worry about.

* * *

Locked away in the back room of the costume store, Ethan Rayne smiled to himself. It had been almost too easy; people had simply flocked to the store, and it made everything just that little bit more exciting. Eyes locked with the statue in front of him, he began to chant.

“Janus, evoco vestram animam. Exaudi meam causam. Carpe noctem pro consilio vestro. Veni, appare et nobis monstra quod est infinita potestas. Persona se corpum et sanguium commutandum est. Vestra sancta praesentia concrescet viscera. Janus! Sume noctem!”

He felt the magic flow through him then, could feel the change in the air. Oh, this was going to be good. Why hadn’t he come to a Hellmouth sooner?

“Showtime!”

* * *

Chaos had erupted at the Bronze. Willow wasn’t entirely sure what had caused it, but what she did know was that it wasn’t good. All around her, people had been transformed, and it didn’t take much to work out what had happened. People dressed as vampires had become vampires, people dressed as pirates had become pirates. People dressed as zombies were zombies, and there was even a rather impressive skeleton. In short, people had become their costumes. 

But a sweep of the dance floor told Willow that not everyone had changed. There was a smattering of people who apparently hadn’t, and were now rightly terrified.

“Buffy! What do we do?” Willow asked as she turned to face her friends.

Buffy, however, blinked back at her with wide eyes. “Do?” she echoed, sounding a little distant. “Surely we must wait to be rescued?”

Beside her, Xander snorted. “Rescued?” he asked. “Yeah, right.” And he cocked his gun.

His very real, very big gun.

Willow’s eyes widened. “Oh boy. That’s not good.”

* * *

Ripper had finally given up and had decided to swing by the Bronze for a while. Despite telling the kids that he wasn’t interested, he couldn’t help but wonder if he shouldn’t give it a go. It seemed really important to the kids earlier, and while Ripper was too old for costumes, he supposed he wasn’t too old to hang out at the Bronze.

But only halfway to the Bronze, he felt a change in the air. It was enough to make him pause, narrow his eyes, and look around. There were children and families all around, trick-or-treating, but in what seemed to be the blink of an eye, everything changed. Where there once were children there were now monsters and demons, ballerinas and fairies, superheroes and soccer stars. Pint-sized vamps rushed at adults with their fangs out, tiny demons sprung from porches to attack terrified passers-by. Whatever was going on was magic, Ripper knew, and he had to get to Buffy and the others fast.

He took off at a sprint, at one point having to shake off a persistent little vamp who’d sunk her teeth into his leg. He fought the urge to drop-kick the creature, reminding himself that it was just some poor kid. If there was a way to reverse what had been done, that would be much more preferable to killing children.

As he made his way across Sunnydale, avoiding magically created monsters along the way, Ripper found himself wondering if there was an age restriction. So far, he had seen no adults who had been changed, and he allowed that to lift his spirits somewhat. There was no reason to think that Buffy, Willow, or Xander were in any danger at the Bronze, and once he explained the situation, he and Buffy should be able to fix it fast.

* * *

Whatever had happened, it had affected Buffy and Xander, and Willow had no idea what to do. They didn’t even seem to know who she was, and that made everything worse.

“Buffy, Xander, you have to listen to me!” Willow begged, imploring her friends to understand the dangers of the situation. They had to still be in there somewhere, Willow was sure of it. “It’s me, Willow! Buffy, you’re not a princess, and Xander, you’re not a soldier, something’s happened! Some sort of, of, spell, or curse, or something!”

“There’s no such thing as magic,” Xander said gruffly as he pushed his way to his feet. “And I don’t know any Willow.”

“I told you,” Buffy said again, in an overly-polished voice that sounded far more precise and clipped than usual, “we have to wait to be rescued. I’m sure my knight will arrive soon.”

Xander was surveying the crowded dance floor where it seemed to be one massive, chaotic fight. “Listen, princess,” he growled at Buffy over his shoulder, “we’re not sitting around here, ok? Have you not seen what’s going on? We have to move out!”

“Where to?” Buffy asked with wide eyes. “Do you have a castle we can go to?”

Willow’s eyes widened. “Not a castle,” she told her friends seriously, “but we do need to go find Ripper.”

Xander’s brow furrowed, but before he could say anything, a demon jumped him from the balcony. There was a tussle as Xander was knocked to the floor and the gun skittered away. Buffy screamed, and Willow was on her feet immediately, trying to haul the demon off of him. She didn’t know what to do, whether this was a real demon or just someone who had been caught up in whatever chaos all this was. Pulling the demon away only seemed to make him change his target to her, however, and with Buffy doing nothing but screaming, Willow really thought the last thing she would ever see was the creature’s disgusting orange eyes.

But then there was gunfire, and the demon scarpered.

“Xander!” Willow gasped, wide-eyed. “That’s a person!”

“Relax, it was just a warning shot,” Xander told her, reaching over to pull Buffy from her chair. “Now, we really need to move out, ladies.”

Without waiting for an affirmative, he then began leading them towards the exit, one hand tight on Buffy’s delicate wrist as he pulled her through the crowd. Willow thought she could see Cordelia and the Cordettes making for the exit, frightened expressions on their faces, but then she lost them in the crowd of angry monsters. She, Xander, and Buffy were partway across the room when they were suddenly stopped by several burly-looking pirates.

“Look what we have ‘ere,” one of them sneered, and Willow thought he looked familiar. “A pretty little princess!”

“Back off or I’ll shoot,” Xander threatened, relinquishing his hold on Buffy to instead turn his gun towards the pirate.

But the pirate group just laughed, and one by one they pulled out flintlock pistols.

“We be takin’ the pretty princess now,” the leader sneered, and before Willow or Xander could react, Buffy had been grabbed by the arm and pulled through the crowd.


	2. Chapter 2

As Ripper drew nearer to the Bronze, heart pounding in his chest, he heard something that sounded terrifyingly like gunfire, and he rounded the corner as a group of what appeared to be pirates ran out of the Bronze, dragging a struggling girl behind them.

A struggling girl in a pastel purple dress.

“Oh, bollocks,” Ripper sighed as he realised what was happening.

Only a moment later, Xander and Willow stumbled out of the club and set off after the pirates. Knowing he had to catch them up, Ripper swore under his breath and burst into a run. It only took a block to catch up with the two teens, but Buffy and the pirates had disappeared from sight.

“Willow! Xander! What the fuck’s going on?” Ripper asked.

Almost immediately, Xander swung round to face him, gun cocked and pointing in his direction. Ripper’s eyes went wide.

“Where did you get that gun?” he asked lowly, eyes on the weapon rather than the boy holding it.

Willow hovered nervously between them. “It just sort of happened,” Willow said. “One minute everything was normal, and then the next minute, Xander and Buffy had no idea who I was, and Xander’s gun was real, and almost everyone had turned into their costumes.”

Ripper frowned. “What do you mean ‘almost everyone’?”

Willow shrugged. “I mean ‘almost everyone’. Not everyone got turned. I don’t think Cordelia did, and there were a few others who seemed really freaked out. And I seem alright.”

Ripper hadn’t been working long at Sunnydale High, but he already knew Cordelia Chase. He and Buffy had once bumped into her on the street and she’d been less than helpful. Part of him was a little bitter that she hadn’t been caught up in the spell. But a bigger part of him was worried as to what was going on. How had this spell affected some people but not all of them? And why were Xander and Buffy affected but not Willow?

“Well, did anyone put anything in your drinks?” he asked quickly. “Or offer you candy?”

Willow’s brow furrowed. “Candy?” she echoed.

“Yes,” Ripper responded in annoyance. “Candy. The spell must have been passed on somehow, if it’s only affected certain people. It’s been affecting kids, too. Some brat dressed as a vampire bit me. I thought maybe it was some candy people had been handing out or something.”

Xander snorted at that, and lowered his gun. “Listen, pal,” he said with a hint of aggression, “I don’t know who you are or what you want, but I suggest you stop with this magic crap.” He shook his head. “Cursed candy,” he muttered under his breath. “What a load of B.S.”

Ripper stared at Xander for a moment, fingers twitching with the desire to punch the younger man. He was only trying to help, and he was being much more useful than Xander was being at the moment. But of course, Xander didn’t know who he was, or what was happening...

Taking a breath and forcing himself to calm down, he turned back to Willow.

“Do you have any idea who those guys were who took Buffy?” he asked urgently. “Some of them looked vaguely familiar to me, but...” He trailed off with a shrug.

“I think the leader’s Larry,” Willow admitted with a frown. “I didn’t really get a good look at the others, but I’m guessing they’re his friends. He goes to school with us.”

Ripper nodded slowly. That would explain why they seemed familiar, if he’d seen them around the high school. Of course, it was unlikely any of them had ever set foot in the library, but Ripper had been asked to monitor the halls once or twice so maybe he’d seen Larry there.

Xander stared at Willow incredulously. “There’s a pirate... Called Larry?”

Willow rolled her eyes. “I’ve told you, Xander, none of this is really real. You’re not a soldier, Buffy’s not a princess, and Larry’s not really a pirate.”

Xander looked like he was about to say something, but Ripper shook his head in annoyance. “We don’t have time for this crap,” he told the two teens. “We need to find Buffy, and then we need to find out whoever’s doing this.”

Before Willow or Xander could protest, Ripper set off along the street in the direction that Buffy, Larry, and the others had disappeared in. There was something nagging at the back of his brain, something about how the markers in the magic that was being used felt familiar...

* * *

It didn’t take long to work out that Larry and the others had been heading for the docks. In any other circumstance, Ripper would have laughed. Why hadn’t he thought of that before? With everyone becoming their costumes, the pirates had fled to where they assumed their ship would be. Well, they were in for a rude surprise when they got there and found they were without a boat.

The docks were deserted when Ripper, Willow, and Xander arrived. There was something really quite unsettling about that, but Ripper pushed it to one side as he scoured the area for any signs Buffy had been through there. When they reached an area full of shipping containers, Xander motioned with his chin that Ripper should take the right-hand path and he would take the left. As the two men crept along, Willow waited nervously for them, wringing her hands and craning her neck as she searched for her friend.

“Get off me!” came Buffy’s voice suddenly, a little further on from where Ripper was. “I said unhand me!”

The paths Ripper and Xander had taken converged once more, and the two men shared a silent look. They were close, with Buffy only twenty feet or so away.

“Found anything?” Willow asked suddenly, as she appeared beside them.

Ripper swore under his breath, and Xander jumped before gripping his gun tighter and flashing her a glare.

“Looks like the hostage is approximately twenty feet ahead, though it’s hard to tell how many people will be with her. You two should stay here.”

“Not bloody likely,” Ripper grumbled, as Willow fixed her oldest friend with a glare.

“Buffy’s not a hostage, she’s our friend,” Willow stated in annoyance. “And if Ripper’s coming, I want to come too. I can help!”

Xander clenched his jaw. “They’re armed. Neither of you two have weapons. I can’t put civilians in danger.”

“But you’re a civilian-” Willow began to protest, before Xander darted off in the direction of Buffy’s voice. She sighed, watching him go. “Now what?” she asked Ripper.

Ripper sniffed, straightened, and gave her a challenging look. “Well, I’m not letting Xander deal with this. Just because he thinks he’s in the army doesn’t mean he can handle the situation. Besides, Buffy’s my responsibility.”

And with that, he set off in the direction Xander had disappeared in. With a sigh, Willow followed.

* * *

There were a handful of pirates surrounding Buffy in a clearing of shipping containers, and a quick count assured Willow that it looked like they were all there. She glanced across at Ripper, who was scrutinising the scene with a clenched jaw.

“Now what?” she whispered, wide-eyed.

But Ripper didn’t respond. His eyes were hard as he glared across the dark dock to where the boys were holding Buffy captive. She was struggling and kicking against the two men holding her, but without her Slayer strength she was being rather ineffective. A movement to the left caught Willow’s eye and she saw Xander creeping towards the group, gun gripped in his hands. 

Then there was a _bang_ as he fired a warning shot, and the pirates seemed to scatter. The ones holding Buffy dropped her in favour of grabbing at their own weapons as their eyes darted around to find their attackers. Before Willow could fully process anything, Ripper had lunged forward to grab at Buffy, and Xander had rushed forward with his weapon aimed once more at Larry. Larry aimed his gun at Xander, a cruel smile on his lips as his finger squeezed at the trigger...

“No!” Willow screamed, and she burst out of the shadows, hand out in front of her. An immense ball of energy burst forth from her hand, flying towards Larry and sending him sprawling.

Then there was an uneasy silence. All eyes were on Willow; even as the half a dozen other pirates began to back away in fear.

“W- Witch!” One of them stuttered, before turning and fleeing from the docks. The other pirates echoed their friend and set off hot on his heels.

Larry seemed to be unconscious in a pile of shipping crates, and only Willow, Xander, Buffy, and Ripper remained. Blinking, Willow brought her hand to her face, staring with wide and frightened eyes.

“Does anyone want to explain what’s going on?” Xander asked after several long moments.

Buffy only sniffled and clung to Ripper, who was watching Willow carefully. Seeing Buffy shaken by her ordeal, Willow instinctively stepped forward, but the blonde responded with a whimper as she hid herself behind Ripper. 

Eyes still on Willow, Ripper was the one to break the silence. “People are becoming their costumes,” he reminded them. “Looks like it didn’t skip Willow after all.”  


Willow swallowed, and Xander eyed her warily.

“You’re telling me she’s a witch?” he asked, shifting slightly as he surveyed Willow. 

Ripper said nothing for a moment. “We need to find out where this spell came from,” he said eventually. “Something’s causing this, and there must be a way for the caster to spread the spell.”

Willow and Xander shared a look. “Not everybody was affected at the Bronze,” Willow said slowly. “And you said that you saw kids affected. So it’s not linked to drinking. It can’t be linked to any candy either, because none of us ate any.”

Xander’s eyes narrowed. “Then what links us?” he asked suspiciously. “If we are under the influence of a spell- and that’s a big if- then there’s a reason it’s only affecting certain people.”

Willow frowned. “Exactly. And why isn’t it affecting people who actually deserve it? I mean, if you were going to curse people wouldn’t you curse bad people? Yet Cordelia and her friends weren’t affected.”

“But they were in costume?” Ripper asked.

At that, Willow nodded eagerly. “Oh yeah, Cordelia wouldn’t stop talking about her costume in class. Apparently she’d had it picked out for weeks. Kept going on about how she was getting it from Party Town. She was really insistent that nobody else could wear the same costume. Like dressing up as a cat is _so original_...” She rolled her eyes.

“Party Town?” Ripper asked with a small frown. “But you said a new place had opened up?”

“Uh, yeah,” Willow confirmed. “Ethan’s Costume Shop. It’s down Maple Court.”

Something passed over Ripper’s face then, something dark that made Willow swallow. In her peripheral vision, she saw Xander straighten a little, and even Buffy seemed to take a slight step back from Ripper.

“I take it we have a lead?” Xander asked, cocking his gun.

“We do,” Ripper agreed, grabbing Buffy’s arm and beginning to lead them back out of the docks. “And I might need to borrow your gun.”

* * *

Surprisingly, Buffy didn’t seem all that fussed about Ripper practically dragging her through the street. Instead, she trotted alongside him, wide-eyed and quiet as they made their way towards Maple Court. Willow and Xander followed, the latter keeping his eyes peeled for danger as they moved through the town.

Willow still wasn’t entirely sure why she hadn’t been changed completely like the others, and she’d been tempted to ask Ripper, but he looked so angry that she didn’t want to risk it. She also wanted to know what it was about the new costume shop that made him so angry, but she was too nervous to ask about that too.

“Are you taking us to your castle?” Buffy asked suddenly, staring up at Ripper with bright eyes.

For a moment, Willow thought he was going to snap. But instead he took a breath before shaking his head.

“Not exactly,” he said, clearly choosing his words carefully. 

Buffy stopped walking and instead frowned up at him, head tilted to one side as she processed the words. “Then where are we going?”

“To stop whoever’s causing all this chaos,” Xander said in annoyance as he and Willow came to a stop beside Ripper and Buffy. “Civilians are being hurt. We’ve got to protect them.”

Ripper watched as Buffy’s eyes went wide and she looked up at him. “Something evil?” she asked, tone somewhere between fear and excitement.

“Possibly,” Ripper said a little uncomfortably. He had his suspicions about who was behind it all, but he wasn’t entirely sure evil was a good descriptor.

But then Buffy was clinging to his arm, staring up at him with those wide, bright eyes of hers and an earnest expression on her face. “Then we must stop them. Before anybody gets hurt.”

Before Ripper could form a response to that, Xander smirked. “The princess is right for once,” he said, shouldering his weapon. “Let’s go slay the dragon.”

* * *

Despite the fact the lights weren’t on when they reached Ethan’s Costume Shop, Ripper wasted no time kicking down the door. Xander stood guard, ready to fire warning shots should a demonic child attempt to attack them, and Buffy was watching everyone with wide, cautious eyes.

Ripper had relaxed somewhat since Buffy had asked him what they were doing, but he was clearly still tense, and everyone had fallen into a semi-nervous silence as a result. Willow and Buffy followed him inside the dark shop, with Xander bringing up the rear, and watched with fascination as Ripper headed straight for the back of the shop. As he pulled aside a curtain separating the storage room from the main shop, Willow saw the man stiffen and there was an awkward silence.

“Hello, Ripper,” came a voice from the back room.

“Ethan,” Ripper greeted tersely, and the owner of the shop stepped into view. “I should have guessed you were behind this the moment it started.”

Ethan grinned, apparently quite pleased with himself. “Enjoying yourself, Ripper? Come on, you have to admit, this is a good one! Have you seen the way I’ve got people scurrying around out there?” He laughed. “Anyway, last I saw of you, you were heading for L.A. What brings you to the Hellmouth?”

“I could ask the same of you,” Ripper responded coldly. 

Ethan shrugged, either not picking up on Ripper’s cold tones, or not caring. “Well, you got me thinking. London’s fun and all, but why not travel the world? So much chaos to spread, so little time, and all that.”

Ripper’s jaw clenched, and behind her Willow heard Xander cock his gun. 

“You’re going to undo this spell, and then you’re going to leave, Ethan.” Ripper stated calmly, stepping closer to the other man as he spoke.

Ethan frowned, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Now, why would I do that?”

“Because we said so,” Xander spoke up from the back of the group. He stepped forward then, gun raised.

Ethan eyed the younger man, but didn’t seem too fazed by what was happening. “Like I said, why would I do that?”

“Because if you don’t leave,” Ripper growled lowly, “I’ll make you.”

There was a heavy silence then, as Ethan surveyed the group. Both Ripper and Xander stood tall, silently challenging the other man. Willow had her best resolve face on, and could feel the thrum of power beneath her skin as she glared at the man. And Buffy was watching him cautiously, tucked away slightly behind Ripper.

Then, Ethan laughed. “No, I think I’ll stay here, thanks. Looks like fun!”

And before anyone else could react, Ripper had punched Ethan in the face. The man hit the ground with a thud, and slid a good few inches across the wooden floor. Buffy let out a small gasp of surprise, and Willow took a slight step back from Ripper. Only Xander gave no outward reaction as he stared coldly at Ethan.

“Tell us how to reverse the spell,” Ripper said, stepping closer to Ethan.

Ethan scrambled into a sitting position, a hand raised to his bloody nose. “What? You don’t want to guess? Tell you what, you guess correctly and you’ll win a prize!” He let out another laugh at that.

Xander’s jaw clenched, as did Ripper’s, and it was clear both men were growing tired of Ethan finding the situation so amusing.

“What was it?” Willow said, surprising everyone as she spoke up. “Did you curse the costumes?”

Ethan seemed to freeze at that, eyes widening ever so slightly. “The kid’s smart, Ripper,” he said after a moment. “Better watch out, she could be smarter than you.”

“Tell us,” Ripper growled out again, “how to break the curse!”

Ethan said nothing, but staggered to his feet instead. No sooner had he regained his balance had Ripper launched himself at the man and they fell backwards. They knocked over a shelf of items, before knocking into a crate that held an item covered with a sheet.

“No!” Ethan yelled, pushing Ripper off him to lunge at the item before it could fall.

As the item landed in Ethan’s hands, the sheet fell away, and the statue beneath was revealed. The eyes glowed green. 

“What’s that?” Xander asked, taking a step forward.

Ripper got to his feet slowly, eyes locked on the statue. “Janus. Roman Mythical god.”

“God?” Buffy echoed with a small frown.

Willow stepped forward to stand beside Xander, peering through to the back room to see the statue better. “What does this mean?”

Ripper swallowed. “Division of self. Male and female, light and dark...”

“Chunky and creamy,” Ethan added from the floor.

Ripper, Buffy, Xander, and Willow all fixed him with an incredulous look.

“Peanut butter?” Ethan said at their looks. “Can’t any of you take a joke?”

“I have a joke for you,” Xander spoke up, levelling his gun with Ethan’s head. “The punch line’s a bullet in your head.”

Willow stared at her friend with wide eyes. “Xander!”

But Xander’s aim didn’t waver. Buffy had backed up against the doorframe, watching everything unfold with a nervous expression on her face. Ripper was still glaring at Ethan. He sniffed, then crouched down in front of him.

“Buffy got attacked tonight because of your stupid little game,” Ripper sneered down at the other man. “You put her, and everyone else, in danger. Now, you tell us how to reverse the spell and I might just let you walk out of here alive.”

Ethan tried for a smile, but there was still a hint of fear in his eyes. “Thought you were running from being a Watcher, Ripper. Yet here you are protecting the Slayer.”

Ripper’s hand shot out to grasp Ethan around the neck. “She’s much more than that, Ethan,” he said lowly, squeezing as he spoke. “And you’re bloody lucky I’m not tearing you limb from limb for putting her in danger tonight. You could have killed those kids.” He pointed angrily at Willow and Xander, and Ethan’s eyes reluctantly flitted over to them before returning to Ripper. “So I’ll ask one more time; how do I break the spell?”

Ethan swallowed thickly at that, and seemed to think for a few moments before pushing the statue into Ripper’s hands. “Break the statue.”

Ripper wasted no time in throwing the statue against the far wall, before fixing Ethan with a glare and standing.

* * *

“We thought maybe it was something to do with the drinks, or the candy, at first,” Willow said a little shyly a few minutes later.

Ethan paused in his gathering of his belongings to look over at the group of kids.

“Cursed candy?” Ethan mused with a distant look in his eyes and a small smirk forming on his lips. “Not a bad idea. I’ll have to remember that.”

“No you bloody don’t,” Ripper growled. “Now hurry up and get out of here. And if I see you in Sunnydale again, I’ll do more than give you a bloody nose.”

“And I’ll help,” Buffy said coldly as she stepped forward to stand beside Ripper.

Gathering the last of his belongings, Ethan flashed the group a smile. “Well, I’d say we’ll have to do this again sometime, but I think I’d like to skip the beating.” Then, before anyone could form a response, he took off out the shop door.

Almost as soon as he was gone, Buffy rounded on Ripper. “You want to tell us who that was?” she asked, arching an eyebrow at him. “And why I didn’t get the quiet Halloween I was promised?”

Ripper let out a sigh and started ushering everyone towards the door. “Look, I don’t know him that well. I squatted with him and some of his mates in London. He was the one who helped secure my green card so I could head for L.A.” He shrugged. “He likes to cause chaos, mess with magic. This was his idea of a great prank.”

“Prank?” Willow wrinkled her nose as she stepped out onto the street. “People could have been hurt! Buffy got kidnapped! Xander had a gun!”

“Yeah, well, Ethan doesn’t think of things like that,” Ripper said as he ushered Buffy and Xander out the shop and closed what was left of the door behind him.

Buffy folded her arms across her chest as the four of them set off down the road. “So he doesn’t see the danger, just the chaos?” she asked with a frown. “He just likes to see everyone wigging when things go weird?”

Ripper shoved his hands in his pockets, nodding. “That’s Ethan Rayne for you.”

They continued through the now-deserted Maple Court in silence for a few moments, each of them reflecting on the chaos of the night.

“What I don’t get,” Xander said after several long moments, “is how Willow went all witchy on us but didn’t lose her memories.”

“Hey, don’t knock it,” Buffy told him with a small smile. “We’d have been stuck if Willow had lost her memories too!”

The three teens laughed, continuing along the sidewalk, but something about what Xander had said made Ripper pause. Buffy had gotten several feet ahead before realising he was no longer walking with them.

“Ripper?” she called back, a frown on her face. “Everything alright?”

He shook himself, forcing himself to catch up with the kids. “Yeah,” he said with a small frown as he fell into step between Buffy and Willow. “Just thinking.”

“Looks serious,” Willow quipped with a small grin.

“Yeah,” Buffy nodded sagely. “I’m not sure I like it. You look too much like a Watcher when you think sometimes. And you’re definitely not my Watcher.”

“Of course I’m bloody not,” Ripper retorted, but it seemed more of an automatic response than one he was aware of.

Buffy, Willow, and Xander shared a worried look that went unnoticed by the older man.

“It’s been a long night,” Xander said suddenly. “Will, you want me to walk you home?”

Willow answered in the affirmative, and the two of them said goodnight to Buffy and Ripper before heading off on their own. Buffy watched her friends go, before turning back to Ripper.

“Everything ok?” she asked as she looped his arm through his.

He gave a small grunt as affirmation, but otherwise said nothing.

Buffy surveyed him carefully. “I’m sorry if I scared you tonight,” she said quietly. “I know you didn’t sign up for this, for looking after me and stuff. And thanks for not being too mad that I got myself in trouble.”

At that, Ripper frowned and looked over at her. “Why the hell would I be mad at you? It’s not your fault Ethan decided to turn everyone into their costumes!” He paused, thought for a moment. “Although next time, don’t accept any dodgy deals from shop owners who are randomly offering you stuff.”

He softened the point with a wry smile, and Buffy smiled slightly in return, but her cheeks still flushed red.

“I thought I was getting a good deal!” she defended. “How was I supposed to know he was about to curse everyone?”

Ripper rolled his eyes at that. “We live on a Hellmouth, Buffy. We should expect the unexpected every day.”

“Is that your new motto?” Buffy teased with a grin. But when Ripper’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, her own face dropped. “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

He chanced a glance over at her, and his heart sank at the scared look on Buffy’s face. _She’s just a kid_, he reminded himself. _She’s just a kid_.

“Nothing’s wrong,” he said after a pause. “Just something Xander said about how the spell affected Willow.”

Comprehension dawned on Buffy’s face. “You mean about how she kept her memories?”

Ripper nodded. “I don’t get it. Willow became a witch, but she didn’t completely change. Not in the way you and Xander did. It doesn’t make sense.”

“So what does that mean?” Buffy asked, a hint of fear creeping into her voice.

Ripper swallowed. “I don’t know.” He heard Buffy’s shocked little intake of breath, and he shook himself. “Come on. Let’s get home. You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

Buffy took a moment to take stock of her body then. “I don’t think so,” she admitted slowly. “My wrists are a little sore, but I should be fine by morning.”

“Good,” Ripper nodded as he urged Buffy along the sidewalk in the direction of their apartment.

* * *

They walked for several minutes in silence, and it wasn’t until they reached their apartment building that Buffy spoke again.

“Ripper,” she began, voice soft and slightly shaking, “this thing with Willow... It’s not bad, is it?”

In her peripheral vision, she saw the man shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe Ethan screwed up the spell. Maybe it’s something to do with the Hellmouth. Maybe it’s just the fact that witches look like normal people.”

Buffy watched as he unlocked the door. “Or maybe it’s none of the above,” she said in a soft voice.

He pushed the door open and ushered her inside. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Buffy,” he said in a tone somewhere between warning and resignation as he shut the door behind him. “I don’t know how many bloody times I have to remind you I’m not your sodding Watcher. I don’t have an answer.” He shrugged again, palms up in an apologetic gesture. Buffy thought his eyes were a little damp, but they’d only left the kitchen light on and it was too dark for her to be certain. “I’m sorry.”

Buffy nodded slowly, bottom lip beginning to tremble as horrible thoughts began to filter through her mind. It seemed too much of a coincidence that the spell had gone wonky on one of the Slayer’s friends, and Ethan didn’t seem the type to mess up a spell. She heard Ripper sigh, and suddenly found herself being pulled in for a hug. That was when the dam broke, and she knew she was making his t-shirt all damp but she couldn’t find the energy to care.

“Shit,” Ripper murmured into her hair as he squeezed her a little tighter. Then, he cleared his throat and spoke a little louder. “What can I do? To help?”

Buffy sniffled against his chest. “I don’t know,” she responded quietly, and she hated how young she sounded. She thought for a moment, then pulled back to meet Ripper’s concerned gaze. “Lie to me. Tell me everything’s gonna be fine. Tell me there’s no danger.”

Ripper sniffed and nodded, and Buffy pulled away from him completely so she could see him better.

“Tonight was nothing more than a stupid prank. All it proves is that Ethan Rayne is an annoying pillock who loves to cause chaos. Nobody was hurt, and nobody will ever be hurt. You, and Willow, and Xander are all safe and well, and you will always be safe and well. There’s nothing that we can’t face, and nothing we can’t beat.”

Buffy nodded, smiling slightly as Ripper’s words washed over her. “Liar.” She wiped at her eyes. “I’m going to bed. See you in the morning.”

Ripper watched as she headed for her room then, and sudden fear clawed at his chest. Before he fully realised what was going on, he was speaking. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt any of you, Buffy. I promise.”

Buffy paused in the hallway, turning back to face him. Her face was half-obscured by shadows, but Ripper could see the sad smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I know.”

And as she padded down the hallway to her room, Ripper had a horrible feeling that she didn’t believe him at all.


End file.
